Hair clipper



Dec. 14, 1965 Filed April 5. 1963 W. P. LUTHER ETAL HAIR CLIPPER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Dec. 14, 1965 w. P. LUTHER ET AL 3 9 HA IIIIIII ER Filed April 5, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 w. P. LUTHER ETAL 3,222,781

Dec. 14, 1965 HAIR CLIPPER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 5, 1963 INVENTORSI United States Patent 3,222,781 HAIR CLIPPER William P. Luther, Racine, and William Ulke, Milwaukee,

Wis, assignors to John Oster Manufacturing Co., Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Apr. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 271,555 5 Claims. ((11. Sit-J) This invention relates generally to hair clippers and more particularly to hair clippers of the type having shearing heads or cutting assemblies which are readily removable from the body of the hair clipper.

The conventional hair clipper includes a housing which encloses a small elongated motor drivingly connected to a shearing head mounted on one end of the housing. The housing is small enough in diameter that it may be readily gripped by the operator and serves as the handle for the hair clipper. The shearing head is made up of a stationary cutting member or comb and a reciprocating cutting member or cutter. Both members are formed with shearing teeth along adjacent edges with the teeth of the cutter being reciprocated in engagement with the teeth on the comb. Spring biasing means are provided to urge the cutter into engagement with the comb.

In some instances the comb, the cutter and the spring biasing means are individually mounted on the hair clipper housing. Another approach involves the construction of the shearing head as a unitary subassembly which is detachable as a unit from the housing of the clipper. This invention is concerned with such a unitary type head construction and the means for detachably mounting the head on the housing.

Since the primary advantage in the unitary type head i ease with which heads may be changed, it is important that the mounting means be simple permitting quick and easy removal and replacement of the head. This easy changing of heads facilitates the use of a number of different types of shearing heads during a single hair cutting operation. The different types of heads provide better results because the shearing head may be selected which is specifically designed for the particular cutting operation whether it be close cutting of the hair, shingling or another type of cutting. In addition, easy removal and replacement of the shearing head is desirable for the purpose of cleaning or sterilizing the heads between successive uses thereof.

This invention represents an improvement over the shearing head mounting arrangement disclosed and claimed in Oster Patent No. 1,956,042 assigned to the same assignee as this application. The Oster patent relates to a mounting means for a unitary shearing head in which a pivotal tongue is carried by the clipper housing for insertion into a socket provided on the shearing head. In one position of the tongue, the head may be detached while in the other position, the head is retained on the tongue and positioned in engagement with the drive mechanism of the hair clipper. Spring means were provided to urge the tongue to the operating position of the shearing head.

One of the shortcomings of the device disclosed in the Oster patent was the fact that, in some instances, the tongue supporting the shearing head could be moved accidentally to the head detaching or inoperative position during the hair clipping operation. In cutting animal hair or thick kinky human hair, a considerable force is applied against the shearing head by the hair through which the shearing head is moved. Since the head mounting means disclosed in the Oster patent utilizes a spring to bias the tongue and shearing head to the operative position, -a reasonable force applied to the shearing teeth, normal to the plane of engagement of the comb and cutter, tends to pivot the tongue and the shearing head away from the whereby it may be readily removed therefrom.

3,222,781 Patented Dec. 14, 1965 clipper housing by overcoming the biasing force of the spring. Such a pivotal movement disengages the shearing head from the drive mechanism and permits the shearing head to be detached from its mounting. An acciden tal detachment of the shearing head caused in this manner could easily result in shearing head being dropped and damaged.

It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a shearing head mounting means which would secure the head against accidental detachment but which would be easily operated to remove the head from the hair clipper housing. Inasmuch as the pivotal connection disclosed in Oster Patent No. 1,956,042 provides a simple and expedient means for quickly mounting the shearing head on the casing and coupling the head to the drive mechanism, it would be desirable if the pivotal type mounting could be modified to prevent the accidenal detachment of the shearing head described above.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved shearing head mounting for a hair clipper.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pivotal mounting for the shearing head of a hair clipper with latch means included to restrain the head against pivotal movement.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a simple and compact latch mechanism for detachably locking a shearing head to the housing of a hair clipper.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair clipper having a shearing head which is readily removable through the operation of a push button latch and the rotation of the head with respect to the hair clipper housing.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a hair clipper embodying the present invention with certain portions of the hair clipper housing cut away to expose the shearing head and its mounting;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the shearing head taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 assuming that FIG. 2 shows the portions of the hair clipper housing adjacent the shearing head;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but with the head retaining latch shown in the released position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one end of the hair clipper with the shearing head removed from its mounting on the hair clipper; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the shearing head mounting mechanism shown removed from the hair clipper, the view being from the side normally against the hair clipper.

Briefly, the invention comprises an arrangement for supporting a unitary type shearing head on a hair clipper The invention includes a pivotal support which is secured to the hair clipper casing and which is insertable into a socket on the shearing head. There is associated with the pivotal support member spring biasing means to urge the support and the shearing head to a position in which the shearing head is in engagement with the driving mechanism of the hair clipper and means are provided to prevent the shearing head from being removed from the pivotal support when in the operative position in engagement with the driving mechanism. A push button latch is provided between the shearing head and the casing to lock the pivotal support against rotation from the operative position. This latch includes a manually operable portion positioned adjacent the shearing head so that it may be easily operated by the finger of one hand while the other hand rotates the head to the position in which it may be removed from the mounting means.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated the hair clipper of the present invention generally designated by the reference numeral 11. This hair clipper is illustrated as comprising a housing 12, a shearing head or cutting assembly 14 and a motor 16 mounted within the housing 12. The motor 16 is generally elongated in shape with the housing 12 closely enclosing it so that the housing serves as a suitable hand grip for the hair clipper 11. The motor may be of the type disclosed and claimed in US. Patent 3,023,332.

A driving mechanism including a driving lever or arm 18 is mounted within the casing 12 to convert the rotary motion of the motor to a reciprocating or oscillating movement which may drive the shearing head 14. As is shown in FIG. 3, the driving lever 18 is mounted for oscillating movement about a mounting pin or stub shaft 20. The driving lever includes an exposed end 18a which extends outwardly through an openings 12a in the end of the housing. A cover plate 22 is mounted on the upper surface of the housing 12 to complete the enclosure for the drive mechanism including driving lever 18.

The end of the housing 12 adjacent the driving lever end 18a is formed with an angularly disposed head mounting surface 12b. Extending along the opposed edges of the mounting surface 12b are integrally formed walls 120. The walls 120 and the cover plate 22 cooperate to form a shallow recess beneath the shearing head 14 wherein a head mounting structure 24 is received.

The shearing head 14 is of the unitary type which may be removed from the hair clipper 11 as a complete subassembly. The shearing head includes a stationary cutter or comb 26 having formed on one edge thereof a series of sharp tapered teeth 26a. Positioned in sliding engagement with the comb 26 is a reciprocating cutting member or cutter 28 having teeth 28a which overlie and move in shearing engagement with the comb teeth 26a. To complete the cutting assembly or shearing head, a resilient biasing spring 30 is secured to the comb 26 with an outwardly projecting edge 30a in sliding engagement with the cutter 28. The biasing spring 30 may be of any suitable form but, as disclosed, is similar to the spring shown in Oster Patent No. 2,928,171. The cutter engaging edge 30a of the spring 30 may be incased in nylon to reduce the friction between the spring 30 and the cutter 28 which is guided in its reciprocating movement by the edge 30a which rests in engagement with a groove 28b in the cutter.

For the purpose of drivingly relating the lever 18 and the cutter 28, the edge of the cutter away from the teeth 28 is formed with a notch or recess 280 within which driving lever end 18a is received. As the lever 18 is oscillated, the cutter 28 is reciprocated in engagement with the comb 26. As is conventional, a pair of hardened wear shoes 32 are secured to the cutter 28 along the edges of the notch 28c for engagement with the driving lever end 18a.

As was mentioned above, the head mounting structure 24 is received between the shearing head 14 and the casing 12 in a shallow recess formed by the casing walls 120 and the cover plate 22 and includes a pivotally mounted tongue 34 which is carried by the casing 12 and is received within a socket member 36 carried by the comb 26. The socket member 36 is a channel-shaped member having a central portion 36a which is spaced from the comb 26 and defines a passageway 38 which extends in line with the driving level end 18a. Extending outwardly from the central portion 36a of the socket member are mounting tabs 36b which are formed with threaded openings in which retaining screws 40 are threadedly received. The mounting tabs 3612 are superimposed over the ends of the cutter tensioning spring 30 and secure the spring 30 in assembled relation to the shearing head 14. The width and height of the passageway 38 is such that the tongue 34 may be easily inserted therein to mount the shearing head with respect to housing 12.

To mount the tongue 34 with respect to the casing or housing 12, a mounting plate or hinge plate 42 is secured to the housing 12 against the mounting surface 121) by means of screws 44 which are threaded into the plastic of the casing 12. The mounting plate 42 includes a central channel portion 42a which cooperates with the mounting surface 12b to form a guide passageway 46 within which a tongue biasing spring 48 and a head latch 50 are received. At the end of the mounting plate 42 most remote from the driving lever 18, a pair of upwardly extending spaced hinge pin supports 42b are provided mount a hinge pin 52 with respect to the casing 12. To pivotally support the tongue 34 on the mounting plate 42, there are spaced bearing ears 34a projecting from the tongue 34 and which are provided with holes to receive the hinge pin 52 for rotation thereon.

The spring 48 is assembled to the central channel portion 42a of the mounting plate 42 by swaging or upsetting a projecting portion 42c integrally formed with the mounting plate. The tongue biasing spring 48 is a cantilever type spring, the free end of which engages an inwardly projecting cam edge 34b on the tongue 34. A clearance depression 12d is formed in the mounting surface 12b to accommodate the inwardly curved portion of the tongue biasing spring 48. The outermost end of the spring 48 is formed with a reverse bend 48a which engages the cam edge 34b, the bend serving to assure smooth biasing action by the spring 48. As may best be seen in FIG. 3, the spring 48 engages the tongue 34 and urges the tongue 34 in a clockwise direction around the hinge pin 52. When the tongue 34 is pivoted to the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4, the curved portion of the spring 48 moves past the edge of the cam edge 34!) causing the tongue to be held in the dotted line position. If further rotation of the tongue 34 were permitted, the spring 48 would exert a biasing force in the counterclockwise direction. As can be seen in FIG. 4, however, the central channel portion 42a of the mounting plate 42 is formed with a downwardly and rearwardly extending projection 42d which serves as a stop for the tongue 34 and prevents its being rotated in the clockwise direction past the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4.

In order that the shearing head 14 when in the operative position will be secured against lengthwise movement with respect to the tongue 34, there are provided wedging projections 37 on the socket member 36 and projections 43 on the mounting plate 42 as are best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The two socket projections 37 are generally perpendicular to the comb 26 extending toward the toothed edge of the shearing head and are spaced apart to receive therebetween and engage the spaced mounting plate projections 43. The projections 37 and 43 are angled outwardly slightly so that a wedging action is produced as the shearing head is urged into its operative position by the biasing spring 48. This wedging action secures the head 14 against displacement from the tongue 34 as long as the head is in the operative position.

The structure disclosed thus far including the mounting plate 42 and the tongue 34 provides a means whereby the shearing head 14 may be assembled to the tongue 34 and rotated against the housing 12 whereby the driving lever 18 is brought into driving engagement with the cutter 28 of the shearing head 14. In the operative position in which the drive arm is in engagemen with the cutter 28, the shearing head 14 is restrained against being slipped off of the tongue 34 by the means described above.

To provide a positive means for preventing the shearing head 14 from being rotated out of the operative position to the inoperative or removal position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4, the head locking latch or latch member 50 is utilized. As may best be seen in FIG. 2, the latch member 50 is a generally flat plate having a central opening 5001 within which is received the tongue biasing spring 48. The latch 50 is guided for lengthwise movement by the spring 48 and is held against the casing mounting surface 12b by means of the central channel portion 42a of the mounting plate 42 which overlies it. At the forward end of the latch 50, an outwardly extending hook portion 50b is provided which extends away from the housing mounting surface 12b. The hook projection 50]) extends outwardly and then rearwardly so that when the shearing head 14 is assembled to the hair clipper 11, the end of the hook portion 50b is received within the passageway 38 in the socket member 36.

To bias the latch into locking engagement with the shearing head 14, a pair of helical springs 54 is provided on the hinge pin 52 between the bearing ears 34a of the tongue 34. Each of the latch springs has fixed ends 54a in engagement with the mounting plate 42 and inwardly extending legs 54b which are received in openings Site in the latch 50. The latch springs 54 are tensioned to bias the latch 50 to the head locking position shown in FIG. 3 in which the hook projection 50b is in engagement with a sloping surface 360 on the socket member 36. It should be noted that by virtue of the sloping edge 36c, the forward edge of the socket member 36 terminates in a knife edge 36d. When the shearing head 14 is pivoted from the dotted line position shown in FIG. 4 to the solid line position shown in FIG. 3, the forward knife edge 36d of the socket member 36 engages a cam surface 50d on the hook projection which causes the latch 50 to be moved lengthwise toward the driving lever thereby permitting the shearing head 14 to move to the operative or engaged position at which time the hook projection 50b moves into engagement with the sloping surface 360 on the socket member as the latch moves to its locked position under the influence of the springs 54.

For the purpose of manually releasing the latch 50 so that the shearing head 14 may be pivoted outwardly and removed from the hair clipper 11, the latch 50 is formed with a manually operable portion or push button 56. The push button 56 consists of nothing more than a U-shaped bend in the end portion of the latch 50. The push button 56 extends outwardly from the shallow recess within which the head mounting structure 24 is positioned. The push button 56 is immediately adjacent the rear edge of the shearing head 14 where it is pivoted with respect to the housing 12.

To best appreciate the ease with which the shearing head 14 may be detached and assembled to the hair clipper 11, it is necessary to consider the manner in which the fair clipper is held by the operator. As was mentioned above, the elongated housing 12 is relatively small in diameter so as to serve as the hand grip for the hair clipper. With the hand surrounding the hair clipper housing 12, either the thumb or forefinger is bound to be in close proximity to the push button 56. Therefore, to remove the shearing head 14, it is only necessary for the operator to depress the latch 56 with one of the fingers on the hand in which the hair clipper is gripped, and, at the same time, pivot the shearing head 14 on its tongue 34 with the other hand and by sliding the socket member 36 out of engagement with the tongue 34, remove the shearing head from the hair clipper.

Conversely, when it is desired to assemble a shearing head to the hair clipper, it is only necessary to insert the tongue 34 within the passageway 38 in the shearing head and rotate the shearing head to its operative position. As was explained above the latch 50 is automatically cammed out of the way as the shearing head moves into operative position, at which time the latch springs 54 urge the latch into locking engagement with the socket member 36.

The combination including the head mounting arrangement is simple in structure and compact in form; the entire mechanism being essentially hidden between the casing and the shearing head. The shearing head is positively locked in position, while, at the same time, the detachment by the operator represents the ultimate in simplicity and convenience.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention, and that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hair clipper comprising a casing, a cutting assembly, a driving mechanism in said casing operable to actuate said cutting assembly, means for detachably supporting said cutting assembly on said casing including a mounting plate secured to said casing and a tongue pivoted to said plate, a passageway formed on said cutting assembly to slideably receive said tongue, said cutting assembly being pivotal with said tongue between an inoperative position in which said cutting assembly may be removed and an operative position in which said cutting assembly is engaged with said driving mechanism and is restrained against detachment from said tongue, a latch slideably mounted between said mounting plate and said casing, a hook-like projection extending outwardly of said casing from one end of said latch, spring means biasing said projection into locking engagement with said cutting assembly when it is in said operative position, and manually operable means for sliding said latch in opposition to said spring means to disengage said projection from said cutting assembly thereby permitting said tongue and cutting assembly to be rotated to the inoperative position in which the cutting assembly may be detached from said tongue.

2. The hair clipper as set forth in claim 1 including a cam portion to operate said latch when said cutting assembly is pivoted from said inoperative position to said operative position.

3. A hair clipper comprising a casing, a cutting assembly having a row of interengaging shearing teeth extending along one edge thereof, a driving mechanism in said casing operable to actuate said cutting assembly, a tongue pivoted to said casing, said cutting assembly having a recess within which said tongue is slideably received to pivot said assembly along the edge opposite from said teeth, said tongue being movable between an inoperative position in which said cutting assembly may be removed and an operative position in which said cutting assembly is engaged with said driving mechanism and is restrained against detachment from said tongue, a latch for locking said cutting assembly against pivotal movement from said operative position, spring means biasing said latch to a locking position, and a manually operable portion on said latch to move said latch to a releasing position in which said cuttting assembly and said tongue may be rotated to said inoperative position and said cutting assembly detached from said tongue, said latch being positioned entirely between said cutting assembly and said casing except for said manually operable portion which extends outwardly adjacent said edge opposite from said teeth.

4. A hair clipper comprising a casing enclosing a motor having a drive arm having one end extending from said casing, a head mounting surface provided on said casing adjacent said one end of said drive arm, a mounting plate secured to said surface and having a central channel portion spaced from said surface and extending in alignment with said drive arm, a hinge pin carried by said plate and extending transversely to said channel, a shearing head having a comb and spring tensioned cutter mounted for sliding movement with respect to said comb, a channel-shaped socket member carried by said comb and having a central portion spaced from said comb, a head mounting tongue pivotally mounted on said hinge pin, said tongue being slideably received in said central portion of said socket member to detachably support said head with respect to said casing, a cantilever spring carried by said mounting plate with the free end thereof engaging said tongue to bias said tongue toward said mounting surface and to bias said cutting head when received on said tongue into operative engagement with said drive arm, a latch slideably supported on said casing between said mounting plate channel portion and said head mounting surface, a hook-shaped portion formed on said latch extending away from said surface into the space between the central portion of said socket member and said comb, said hook-shaped portion engaging said socket member to lock said head against rotation out of engagement with said drive arm, helical spring means carried by said hinge pin urging said latch into locking engagement with said socket member, and manually operable means for sliding said latch out of locking engagement with said socket member to permit rotation of said tongue and detachment of said head therefrom.

5. The hair clipper of claim 4 wherein said hookshaped portion of said latch is formed with a cam surface which is positioned to engage the end of said socket member when said head is rotated toward the operative position on said tongue, said cam surface displacing said latch to permit said hook-shaped portion to move into locking engagement with said socket member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,764,614 6/1930 Dremel 30221 1,956,042 4/ 1934 Oster 30221 2,077,034 4/1937 Boerger 30221 2,098,180 11/1937 Dilks 30--221 2,182,597 12/1939 Oster 30-210 2,306,039 12/ 1942 Cromonic 30-201 2,542,378 2/1951 Armbruster 30208 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner. 

1. A HAIR CLIPPER COMPRISING A CASING, A CUTTING ASSEMBLY, DRIVING MECHANISM IN SAID CASING OPERABLE TO ACTUATE SAID CUTTING ASSEMBLY, MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SUPPORTING SAID CUTTING ASSEMBLY, ON SAID CASING INCLUDING A MOUNTING PLATE SECURED TO SAID CASING AND A TONGUE PIVOTED TO SAID PLATE, PASSAGEWAY FORMED ON SAID CUTTING ASSEMBLKY TO SLIDEABLE RECEIVE SAID TONGUE, SAID CUTTING ASSEMBLY BEING PIVOTAL WITH SAID TONGUE BETWEEN AN INOPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID CUTTING ASSEMBLY MAY BE REMOVED AND AN OPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID CUTTING ASSEMBLY IS ENGAGED WITH SAID DRIVING MECHANISM AND IS RESTRAINED AGAINST DETACHMENT FROM SAID TONGUE, A LATCH SLIDEABLY 